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Saturday, 22 November 2014

November Rain.

After quite
a busy Grimbarian Oktoberfest,( that's Grimsby,North East Lincs, not
the fictitious Germanic State of Grimbaria, somewhere near Bavaria,
my imagination perceives......hold on. Copyright that name. I may
include it in my next novel.OK my first novel......if I ever do write
one!! Time to stop daydreaming and concentrate on the blog.)it was
decided that I slow down a bit on the Ale intake this coming month,
and, for £10 to charity, (Prostate Cancer UK), shave off the
“goatee” and grow a moustache only for “Movember”. I don't
mind looking a prat for a month, and if anyone else wishes to point
and laugh at my attempt, please follow it up with a donation too. The
tenth month had seen a few days on the elixir, notably ticking off
the JDW's Festival beers. All things beery were not to be off the
menu this coming month, &, on Monday I started off my Christmas
beer, namely 40 pints of “Wilko's” Velvet Stout home-brew,
followed later that day by my first trip out this month, at the
outset, just to the local B&M store, primarily for something they
didn't have, but on searching through the myriad of shelves and their many and varied wares, it came to pass that I became stood in front of the drinks selection. Not a massive selection, I might add, but certainly sizeable, and sensibly priced. As I was cooking that evening, a spicy little take on a lasagne, but with a ginger and chilli kick, I do like to faff about, I pondered that a splash of cooling beer may compliment it perfectly. I found four different beers, each 330ml bottles, and each on offer at only 89p, purchased said articles, and started to walk back home. On passing The Ice Barque, curiosity wasn't in the throes of murdering felines, but urged me to take a peep inside. Not one to be persuaded against entering a Real Ale establishment, I was soon at the bar and ogling at one of my “missing” Festival Ales. I was obviously steered into here by forces unknown, or maybe my beer radar was tuned in, as usual, but I was pleased that my Ale of choice was the Festival brew, Brew Moon “Antipodean Ale” a 4% Pale Ale, which poured well, with a creamy head, and was quite fruity in body, with a long, long citrus, bitter finish. This, being my 47 th festival ale
tried, was quite a pleasing beer, not a “X-Factor” of beer, but
certainly one I would have had again, if time and tide would wait a
while. Again I started off home, this time achieving my aim of
arriving and laid out my wares for inspection. My selection consisted
of 3 beers from The Box Steam Brewery, from Holt in the Midlands,
were part of their Criminales range. These were “Robber” a 4.9% Pale Ale, “Gangster” Mighty IPA at 5.4% and “Fraudster” Golden Ale of 4.4% ABV. Although good representatives of their styles, they all, whilst refreshing one's palate, had that fizzy, bottled taste to them. Good to savour with a meal, but they lacked the depth of a cask ale. The concept of flashy labels and sharp names is obviously an attempt to persuade younger drinkers to try “ales” , and that is a plus, but most of these gimmicky brews in a bottle fall well short of those beer styles they try, valiantly, to represent. They are beers to enjoy in mixed company (Ale drinkers and Lager swillers alike) at a barbecue, or impromptu gathering. They are not a serious statement of our fine brewing art,. Only my opinion. The 4th bottle was a Greene King Lager by the name of
“Noble” which was dry, slightly biscuity and had a slightly tart
bitterness. This 5% brew was, again, OK, but certainly lacked a
certain “Ding Dong” , as Leslie Phillips would say (No Ding Dong
? No Bell ?? OK, OK, Please yourselves !!!) And so meal over and
tasting finished, I volunteered to wash-up, which back fired on me,
as T'other 'arf merely responded with “OK, Get on with it”,
instead of “Oh No, You've slaved over a hot stove ALL day, after
hunter gathering stuff. You put your feet up and relax”. When will
I ever learn!

No 47 out of 50.

On Thursday,
I decided on knocking up a curry for Dinner. Ingredients sourced, one
must have more than a raita to cool and cleanse one's palate. To this
end, I had ventured to Morrison's on my way home from work. It made
sense, having just one stone and two birds to fell. As always, a good
selection was on offer, and I opted for McMullen “Hertford Castle”
a 5% late hopped Pale Ale, which was devoured as I prepared our meal.
This came across as quite creamy, moderately bitter, with a medium
back taste of sweet caramel. I certainly enjoyed this bottle, much
better than those “Criminales” of earlier.I also chose “Cascade
Pale Ale” a 4.9% brew from Saltaire Brewery. I have had this on
cask and bottled before, and it is certainly a mouthfull of flavour
either way. Dry, biscuity, citrus and long in the finish, an
excellent accompaniment to any “Ruby Murray”. My intrepid
co-diner and long suffering Partner, Jane, fresh from her toils,
sampled the 3rd bottle in our range, Ilkley's “Ilkley
Pale” a 4.2% glass of hoppy refreshment. Floral and quite dry, but
extremly refreshing on the palate, again, a really good beer with our
meal of choice. Full up and satisfied, we left the table. This time I
didn't mention the washing up. Result.

With Grimsby
drawing 1-1 away to the mighty Altrincham, (OK, so by the radio
commentry, we threw a poor game away) , the uncertain prospects of
Eng-er-land in the Euro Qualifiers, following on from my last 2 of my
set of 4 early shifts which entailed getting soaked through to the
skin on a cold, wet and windy airport apron, I was ready for a
“proper” pint. So, after arriving home early afternoon, the bath
was filled, salts added and body immersed. Oooh, sooo good. With the
radio giving regular disappointments out, in the background, zzzzz
zzzz I was soon aware that the room was darker, water colder and time
slightly further on than I had imagined. “Oh, bugger” Never mind.
I dragged myself out of my watery cocoon, dried, dressed and smiling
and groveling, bade T'other arf a cheerfull, “Cheerio” for a
couple of hours. My intention was to grab the 2nd half of
the game in The Parity, a couple in The Yarborough and then home. I
just made it tho The Parity as the whistle sounded for the
gladitortorial restart of the second 45 minutes, ordered my Tom Woods
“Bomber County”, which I felt was not the best pint of this beer
I had ever tasted, but still drinkable, settled down and enjoyed our
glorious 3-1 victory against Slovenia, the team ranked 36 in the
world.Verdict ? Job done, I suppose.Triumphantly, I skipped out of
the pub an ever onwards. In The Yarborough, which was quite busy at
both bars, I chose the “American IPA” offered by New Zealand's
Fork and Brewer. This 4.2% brew was strong in citrus flavours,
grapefruit was very evident, with a long dry finish. I found it OK
but, for me, a little too dry and bitter.I would suggest just a
little too much going which seemed to detract from the
subtleties.Next beer to be sampled was Celtic “Native Storm”. I
last tasted this Ale on our return from a recent trip to Kent (
http://fozzy21.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/take-me-home-country-roads.html)
and, on this tasting alone , I found it somewhere between curious and
unpleasant, with the spicy/biscuity lingering finish a little too
much. Maybe a “Marmite” Ale. You either love it or hate it.
Another I quaffed on this trip, I had also tasted on my visit back in
September, namely Summerskills “Ninja”. I don't know whether it
was me, after a tiring and unpleasant weather affected week, but I
felt quite unsatisfied with this 5% Premium Bitter. The finish was
quite short lived, and the fruitiness almost sickly. Another job
done,and now ready for home, I scanned the pub looking for Likey,
Likeys, my childish game of spotting people who look like someone
“famous”. Now, I want it to be understood that I have NEVER seen
TOWIE or Geordie Shores or the virtual cornucopia of similar reality
shows on offer,other than those awful plugs they insist on showing
whilst one enjoys one of those thought provoking documentries on The
Rise and Fall of the Guatamalan Gumba Bean, or The Shame of the Nun
Ticklers Club,on TV but I think I could have spotted dopplegangers
for the entire series' casts in here this evening. Anyone with a
little money to invest need look no further than the fake tan and
bling markets to make a good return in this area of Lincolnshire.I
was soon home, helping our Grandson become an Adventure Capitalist
(VERY addictive game, try it),and, eventually, trying to catch up on
some TV, in between snoring and doing that daft thing were your head
falls off your supporting hand and, against all odds and the laws of
gravity and the science of anatomy, hits your shoulder, swings
pendulum like round across your chest, only to come to a perfect
stop, eyes open, staring back at the TV. Goodnight zzzzzzzzzzzz

And so,
another day dawns, T'other 'arf was away to work, whilst our
Grandson's entertainment was to be provided by me, with the help of
Norman Wisdom's “A Stitch in Time” DVD. What a classic. In this
high speed, electronicly controlled life that we have virtually
created, fixated by texts and demands to buy the latest shoot 'em up,
the simplistic writing of these 1960's comedy films is quite
humbling. Thanks Norm, and you Mr Grimsdale! I prepared a lovely,
warming and spiced, beef stew for dinner and nipped out into town,
primarily to do a bit of shopping, but with other intentions at the
back of my mind! Meeting up with The Worker, we browsed, bought
little and went to The Ice Barque, but you already guessed that.In
here, I fancied the Milestone's 3.8% “Lion's Pride”, and was most
disappointed at finding our offering was off, but only after settling
down away from the bar to enjoy it. Yak. To be fair, it was changed
without too much hassle, although after agreeing that the barrel had
“gone”, the clip remained on view to the unaware. We had the
“Meremaid Red” from Coronado Brewery, another beer previously
experienced on this blog.It was a good, well rounded beer, packed
with flavour and a lovely long finish to savour. We decided to nip in
The Yarborough on the way home before , hopefully, digging in to a
hearty plate full of stew. In here, we opted for a pint of Cotleigh's
“Commando Hoofing”, a 4% Pale beer and a half of the Golden
bitter from RCH,

A Rebelious beer from Weston
Super Mare.

“Pitchfork”. I thought my beer was full and
malty in taste,which leads to a fruit finish. Well hopped and well
balanced, a refreshing brew.The Pitchfork, named after the Pitchfork Rebellion of 1665, I believe, was, somewhat, smokey in
taste, with a long and increasingly dry,finish. Nice. I decided to
finish on a pint of the Pitchfork, whilst T'other 'arf went for a
soft drink. We had appreciated these little treats on a Sunday
afternoon, and as we left, just before 3pm, it had the feel of one of
those afternoons BEFORE the licence changes came in. In some ways, I
miss that feel.Sunday Drinking between 12 and 3pm and 7-10-30pm only.
You knew who was out, and where, at any particular time in the “old”
days. Nostalgia ain't what it used to be! Should we go back to this
very structured way of drinking? Personally I think not, but at least
it gave us a disciplined way of embibing.Anyway that's it for now so.......
Cheers and keep it "Real"

About Me

I am a passionate Real Ale Drinker (not a drunkard) who, along with " T'other 'arf", try to give an independant view on beer and boozers on my little blog. The haggard look comes free with 4 Grandchildren. I love travelling around this sceptered Isle of ours, but work commitments and finances stop me from being so prolific in my excursions. Roll on retirement and that free bus pass! I also slave away at my allotment ,follow Grimsby Town (sadly these days, only on the radio) and enjoy cooking and brewing.
Confucius, He say " Tis better to be a diamond with a flaw than a pebble with none"
Grimsby born, Grimsby bred.Strong in arm Thick in 'ead